TONIGHT WITH A PROPOSAL TO CLOSE A LOOPHOLE THAT'S CURRENTLY ALLOWING MINORS TO BUY TOBACCO PRODUCTS WITHOUT EVER HAVING TO SHOW AN I-D. WITH MORE ON THE NEW BILL AIMED AT BANNING ONLINE TOBACCO SALES HERE'S ACTION NEWS REPORTER TOM MILLER LIVE IN OUR SALINAS NEWSROOM. FOR MOST TOBACCO USERS THE ROUTINE INVOLVES GOING INTO A CONVENIENCE STORE TO PICK UP A PACK OF CIGARETTES OR CAN OF CHEWING TOBACCO BUT SURPRISINGLY AS MUCH AS 14 PERCENT OF ALL US TOBACCO SALES ARE MADE ON THE INTERNET. WHEN THAT HAPPENS NO ONE IS CHECKING I-D AND THEIR INLIES THE PROBLEM. A QUICK GOOGLE SEARCH OF BUY CIGARETTES ONLINE GIVES YOU ENDLESS OPTIONS... ONCE YOU'VE CHOSEN WHAT YOU WANT... CHECKING OUT ISN'T HARD. 1:30 obviously there's no face to face interaction between the buyer seller, so it's a very easy way for people who can't otherwise buy tobacco products or e cigarettes SO EASY THAT IN A TIMED STUDY MORE THAN 96 PERCENT OF 15 AND 16 YEAR OLDS WERE ABLE TO FIND AN INTERNET CIGARETTE VENDOR AND PLACE AN ORDER IN LESS THAN 25 MINUTES, MOST DID IT IN SEVEN MINUTES OR LESS. It's pretty easy to just take your parents credit cards and like imput there data and like kids are pretty smart ASSEMBLY BILL 1500 WANTS MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE BY BANNING THE SHIPMENT OF ALL TOBACCO PRODUCTS TO ANYONE IN CALIFORNIA. Having a very bright clear line that we just won't allow sales through the internet to individuals will make it easier to curtail the purchase by young people PEOPLE ON THE CENTRAL COAST WE SURVEYED... EVEN SOME SMOKERS SEEM TO SUPPORT THE IDEA. I think it's a good idea because the kids, you never know their age, and they might be getting it without the consent of their parents Online they can't literally see you through a camera or anything I don't understand why someone would need to buy tobacco online when there's places right across the street that you can get tobacco at that will actually check your id and make sure it's a valid state i.d. A SIMILAR BILL MADE IT ALL THE WAY TO GOVERNOR SCHWARZENEGGER'S DESK IN 2007 BEFORE IT WAS VETOED... BUT DICKINSON IS CONFIDENT IT'LL PASS THIS TIME ... ONE REASON FOR OPTIMISM ONE OF THE BILL'S KEY SUPPORTERS IN 2007 WAS THEN ATTORNEY GENERAL JERRY BROWN. THE BILL WOULD NOT AFFECT RETAILERS SELLING TOBACCO PRODUCTS... IN FACT IT'S ESTIMATED IT WOULD RAISE AN ADDITIONAL 24 MILLION IN TAX REVENUE... SINCE MORE TOBACCO USERS WOULD BE FORCED TO ENTER LOCAL STORES RATHER THAN SHOP ONLINE. ###